Classe SSP-300 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

SSP-300

Surround Processor

Manuel du propriétaire

SSP-300

Préampliﬁcateur/processeur Surround

ENGLISH FRANÇAIS

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

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All of us at Classé take extreme care to ensure that your purchase will remain a prized investment. We are proud to inform you that all Classé components have been ofﬁcially approved for the European Community (CE) mark.

This means that your Classé product was subjected to the most rigorous manufacturing and safety tests in the world. The CE mark certiﬁes that your purchase meets or exceeds all European Community requirements for unit-to-unit consistency and consumer safety.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment gener ates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

NOTICE

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna;

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver;

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected;

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

CAUTION: Changes or modiﬁcations to this equipment not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This product incorporates copyright protection technology that is protected by U.S. patents ad other intellectual property rights. Use of this copyright protection technology must be authorized by Macrovision, and is intended for home and other limited viewing uses otherwise authorized by Macrovision. Reverse engineering or disassembly is prohibited.

The information contained in the manual is subject to change without notice. The most current version of this manual will be posted on our web site at http://www.classeaudio.com.

Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the EMC

(Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the European Community.

Classe products are designed to comply with international directives on the Restriction of Hazardous

Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment and the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The crossed wheelie bin symbol indicates compliance and that the products must be appropriately recycled or processed in accordance with these directives.

Please record the serial number for your new Classé component here for future reference.

Serial #: __________________

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replace ment of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

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11. Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer.

12.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15. Do not expose this apparatus to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the apparatus.

16. To completely disconnect this apparatus from the AC Mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC re ceptacle.

17. The mains plug of the power supply cord shall remain readily operable.

18. Do not expose batteries to excessive heat such as sunshine, ﬁre or the like.

Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

The lightning ﬂash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the pres ence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage “ within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufﬁcient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.

WARNING : To reduce the risk of ﬁre or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture .

Contents

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Welcome to the Classé family ..........................................................................6

Unpacking and Placement ...............................................................................7

unpacking your surround processor .......................................................... 7

placement ................................................................................................ 7

ventilation ................................................................................................ 7

custom installations .................................................................................. 7

serial number ........................................................................................... 7

warm up/break-in period .......................................................................... 8

please read this manual… ........................................................................ 8

Operating Voltage ............................................................................................9

A Word About Installation ..............................................................................10

Special Design Features .................................................................................11

high-bandwidth video circuitry .............................................................. 11

transcoding ...................................................................................... 11

THX Ultra 2® .......................................................................................... 11

Re-Equalization™ ............................................................................ 12

Timbre Matching™ .......................................................................... 12

Adaptive Decorrelation™ ................................................................ 12

Advanced Speaker Array™ ............................................................... 13

THX Ultra 2 Music Mode ................................................................. 13

THX Ultra 2 Cinema Mode .............................................................. 14

Boundary Gain Compensation ......................................................... 14

ﬂexible GUI ........................................................................................... 14

customizable volume control ................................................................. 14

highly reﬁned circuit design ................................................................... 15

extensive listening tests .......................................................................... 15

extraordinary longevity .......................................................................... 16

Initial Setup ...................................................................................................17

Front Panel .....................................................................................................20

Rear Panel .....................................................................................................23

The Remote Control .......................................................................................31

Understanding Surround Sound .....................................................................33

how many channels? .............................................................................. 33

matrix or discrete? .................................................................................. 33

multichannel formats ....................................................................... 34

post-processing possibilities ................................................................... 34

multichannel formats ....................................................................... 35

Using the SSP-300 .........................................................................................36

source selection ..................................................................................... 36

mode selection ....................................................................................... 37

video preview ........................................................................................ 37

controls .................................................................................................. 37

system trims ..................................................................................... 38

zone control .................................................................................... 38

position select .................................................................................. 39

The Menu System ..........................................................................................40

system setup ........................................................................................... 40

volume setup ......................................................................................... 41

rotary ............................................................................................... 41

max volume ..................................................................................... 43

startup volume ................................................................................. 43

mute setup ....................................................................................... 44

input setup ....................................................................................... 44

speaker setup ................................................................................... 47

proﬁles ............................................................................................ 49

triggers setup ................................................................................... 50

teach IR .................................................................................................. 50

display setup .......................................................................................... 50

brightness ........................................................................................ 51

timeout ............................................................................................ 51

language .......................................................................................... 51

OSD ................................................................................................ 51

temp. display ................................................................................... 52

volume ............................................................................................ 52

Dolby/DTS setup .................................................................................... 52

Dolby Pro Logic II ........................................................................... 53

DTS Neo:6 ....................................................................................... 53

remote Fkeys .......................................................................................... 53

cautionary note on Fkey use ............................................................ 54

status ...................................................................................................... 54

version info ...................................................................................... 54

sensors ............................................................................................. 54

Troubleshooting .............................................................................................55

Care & Maintenance ......................................................................................57

Speciﬁcations ................................................................................................58

Dimensions .................................................................................................118

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Welcome to the Classé family

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Please take a few minutes to ﬁll out the warranty registration card and

Congratulations on your purchase of a Classé product. It is the result of many years of continuous reﬁnement, and we are sure that you will enjoy it for many years to come.

We value our relationship with our customers. Please allow us to stay in touch with you by returning your warranty card now, before you pack up the shipping carton of your new product and forget all about it. Doing so will enable us to let you know about any possible future upgrades or updates that might become available for your Classé component.

Sending in your warranty card also registers your product with us so that warranty service can be obtained easily and quickly, even if you have mislaid your original sales slip.

You will ﬁnd the warranty registration card at the end of the separate warranty policy booklet, enclosed.

drop it in the mail. Or if you prefer you may register your purchase online at www.classeaudio.com.

Unpacking and Placement

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unpacking your

surround processor

Important! Keep all packing materials for future transport of your Classé product.

placement As with any surround processor, it is best to place the SSP-300 centrally within your

Carefully unpack your surround processor according to the supplied instructions, and remove all accessories from the carton.

Shipping your new component in anything other than its purposedesigned packing material may result in damage that is not covered by the warranty.

system, since it is the hub to which all other components are connected. It should also be located at a convenient height for both visibility and use, since you generally interact with your surround processor more than any other component (changing inputs, adjusting volume, etc.).

Note that adequate clearance for the AC cord and connecting cables must be left behind the SSP-300. We suggest leaving eight inches (20 cm) of free space behind your surround processor to allow all cables sufﬁcient room to bend without crimping or undue strain.

Classé recommends that the unit not be placed directly on the top surface of a power ampliﬁer (or any other heat source).

ventilation Your Classé surround processor generates a certain amount of heat in the course of

normal operation. Be sure to allow three inches of clearance above it and three inches to each side to allow heat dissipation through air circulation. Avoid placement on soft surfaces that would restrict airﬂow (such as plush carpeting).

custom installations Drawings are included in this manual to facilitate special installations and custom

cabinetry (see the section Dimensions). An optional, purpose-designed rack mount kit is available for this product. Contact your Classé dealer for more information.

serial number The serial number for your surround processor is found on the rear of the unit. Please

note and record this number on the page entitled Important Safety Instructions for your future reference.

card. Please register your purchase so we can advise you of updates and other items of interest.

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It will take only a minute or so. Please complete the card now, before you forget.

warm up/break-in period Your new Classé surround processor will deliver outstanding performance immediately.

However, you should expect to hear it improve somewhat as it reaches its normal operating temperatures and its various components “break-in.” It has been our experience that the greatest changes occur within the ﬁrst 300 hours, as the surround processor reaches thermal equilibrium and the capacitors fully form. After this initial break-in period, the performance of your new product should remain quite consistent for years to come.

The only exception to this rule is if the unit is unplugged for an extended period of time, allowing it to cool down. Depending on the degree of cooling involved, you should expect a brief warm-up period before the surround processor’s sound quality is at its best. Unless your surround processor was allowed to become quite chilled, subsequent thermal re-stabilization should not take long. Fortunately, you should never have to repeat the initial 300 hour break-in period.

please read this manual… Please take a few minutes to review this manual, and to familiarize yourself with your

new surround processor. We understand that you are anxious to plug everything in and get started. However, reading this manual and following the advice it gives will ensure that you get all the beneﬁts you deserve from having purchased such a ﬁne piece of equipment.

Operating Voltage

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The SSP-300 surround processor is set at the factory (internally) for 100V, 120V, 230V, or 240V AC mains operation, as appropriate for the country in which it is to be sold. (230V only in European Union countries, in compliance with CE regulations.) The voltage setting may not be changed by the user.

Make sure that the label on the rear panel of your surround processor indicates the correct AC operating voltage for your location. Attempting to operate your surround processor at an incorrect voltage may damage the unit.

Warning: The voltage setting of your surround processor may not be changed by

the user. There are no user-serviceable parts within the unit. Please refer any problems to an authorized Classé service center..

If the AC mains voltage indicated on your surround processor is incorrect, please contact your local, authorized Classé dealer or distributor.

The SSP-300 can easily be powered by a normal 15-ampere AC mains line. If other devices are also powered from the same AC line, their additional power consumption should be taken into account.

The SSP-300 includes protection circuitry that will prevent the surround processor from operating at dangerously high or low voltages.

• At startup: the AC mains voltage must be within a range of approximately -15%

to +10% of its nominal value at startup, or the surround processor will not turn on. For example, a 120V unit requires the AC mains to be between approximately 95V–135V in order to turn on.

• Overvoltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage surges by roughly 10%

or more during operation, the surround processor will enter protection mode and shut down. The standby LED (Light-Emitting Diode) will ﬂash to indicate the protection mode has been engaged. An error message will be displayed on the LCD touchscreen.

• Under-voltage during operation: if the AC mains voltage sags by 15% or

more, the surround processor will continue to play (since this does not present a particular danger to the surround processor), but note that it may not be able to achieve its usual standard of performance under these compromised conditions. The standby LED will ﬂash to indicate the condition.

A Word About Installation

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For this reason, we strongly encourage you to have your system

Every effort has been made to make the Classé SSP-300 simple and straightforward to install and use.

Still, we have no way to evaluate other variables such as the size and shape of your room, its acoustics, and the associated equipment you have chosen to use with your surround processor. All of these factors inﬂuence the ultimate performance of your system.

installed and calibrated by your dealer, whose experience, training, and specialized equipment can make a profound difference in the ﬁnal performance of the system.

Special Design Features

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high-bandwidth

video circuitry

transcoding The SSP-300 will receive standard, interlaced composite, S-video, and component

Modern high deﬁnition video sources provide truly stunning picture quality. However, the technical requirements of passing these remarkable signals along to the display are quite challenging.

In recognition of the degradations that normally occur when passing these pristine signals through circuitry that is often not up to task, many videophiles connect all their video sources directly to their video displays. Unfortunately, doing so means switching inputs separately on the audio and the video gear, which is tedious to say the least.

Your new Classé surround processor incorporates professional-quality video circuitry that has both the extraordinary bandwidth and the requisite dynamic range to handle even the most demanding video signals in the HDTV standard. This preserves simple everyday operation of the system, since now all video and audio signals are routed through a single controller. Just as importantly, it does so without any compromise in picture quality.

signals and transcode (convert) them to provide all of those formats simultaneously to its various video outputs. It will convert signals “up” or “down” as needed to ensure that all outputs are active, all the time, regardless of input signal. (Note, however, that the SSP-

300 does not change frame rates or broadcast standards, e.g., we do not convert from 60 fps NTSC to 50 fps PAL or vice versa.)

Also, progressive input signals cannot be routed to the remote zone, since the remote zone receives a composite signal. (There is no such thing as a progressive composite signal.) If you have a progressive source, we suggest connecting both its progressive output (for use in the main zone, without any further signal processing) and its S-video or composite output (for use in the remote zone).

THX Ultra 2®THX® is an exclusive set of standards and technologies established by the world-

renowned ﬁlm production company, Lucasﬁlm Ltd. THX grew from George Lucas’ personal desire to make your experience of the ﬁlm soundtrack, in both movie theaters and in your home theater, as faithful as possible to what the director intended.

Movie soundtracks are mixed in special movie theaters called dubbing stages, and are designed to be played back in movie theaters with similar equipment and conditions. This same soundtrack is usually then transferred directly onto DVD and other distribution formats, and is not changed for playback in a small home theater environment.

THX engineers developed patented technologies to accurately translate the sound from the movie theatre environment into the home, correcting the tonal and spatial errors that occur. With your SSP-300, when the THX indicator is on, the following THX features are automatically added:

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Re-Equalization™ The tonal balance of a standard ﬁlm soundtrack will be excessively bright and harsh

when played back over high quality audio equipment in the home because ﬁlm soundtracks were designed to be played back in large movie theatres using very different professional equipment. Re-Equalization restores the correct tonal balance for watching a movie soundtrack in a small, home environment.

Timbre Matching™ The human ear alters our perception of a sound based on the direction from which

the sound is coming. Thus two identical sounds arriving from different directions sound somewhat different to us (based on the asymmetrical shape of our ears). In ﬁlm soundtracks, this can introduce discontinuity as sounds pan from the front to the rear of the room, even if the speakers themselves are quite well-matched.

The Timbre Matching feature ﬁlters the information going to the surround speakers so that they more closely match the tonal characteristics of the sound coming from the front speakers. This ensures seamless panning between the front and surround speakers.

Adaptive Decorrelation™ In a movie theater, there is an array of perhaps a dozen surround speakers so that

the surround information is literally all around you. This creates a diffuse surround soundﬁeld that envelopes you, drawing you into the action on the screen rather than distracting you from it.

By contrast, in a home theater you often use only two speakers, located to the sides and somewhat behind you. Even in more elaborate “7.1 channel” systems, you still have only two speakers to the sides and two speakers to the rear – quite different than the surround array for which the soundtrack was mixed. This difference can make the surround speakers sound like headphones, lacking spaciousness and envelopment. The surround soundﬁeld also tends to collapse into the closest speaker as you move away from the middle seating position.

Adaptive Decorrelation channel’s time and phase relationship with respect to the other surround channels. This expands the listening position and helps create – even with only two surround speakers – the same spacious surround experience as in a movie theater.

™

– another THX technology – slightly changes each surround

Advanced Speaker Array™ The people at THX have also found a solution to a problem that dogged high

performance multichannel systems for years: the apparent conﬂict between optimal music and movie setups.

You see, movies are mixed in highly standardized environments, with even spaced surround speakers in an array designed to provide a diffuse, enveloping soundﬁeld. Their goal is to draw you into the movie on the screen. If the surround sound tempts you to look over your shoulder, the system has failed: it has reminded you that you are safe in your living room rather than “in” the movie you are watching.

By contrast, most multichannel music is mixed with a single pair of surround speakers aimed directly at the listener from behind. Many music mixers deliberately place particular instruments or musicians in these locations, and want you to feel as though you are “in the middle of the band.” Thus, a diffuse, non-localizable soundﬁeld is not what you might like for the most accurate reproduction of the musical producer’s intent.

THX Ultra 2 solves this apparent dilemma by the innovative use of a special surround array that can provide either highly diffuse surround sound (for movies) or highly localizable surround sound (for music), without having to reposition any loudspeakers. The Advanced Speaker Array™ places a pair of surround speakers to the sides of the listener, and another pair directly behind the listener (and as close to each other as practical). Through the use of sophisticated digital signal processing (DSP), this array can create the audible illusion of either many speakers surrounding you on all sides, or only a single pair of speakers behind you and spread apart as you might normally expect.

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THX Ultra 2 Music Mode By using the technology in ASA (described above), the THX Ultra 2 Music mode

optimizes the performance of the speakers in the system for multichannel music – whether found on a concert video DVD, a DVD-Audio disc, or a multichannel SACD disc.

When in THX Ultra 2 Music mode, ASA creates the illusion of a single pair of surround speakers located at ±30° from directly behind the primary listening position. This simulates the most common conﬁguration found in multichannel music recording studios, and provides the best-possible recreation of the experience the music producer had when mixing the recording.

There are other changes as well (for example, the Re-Equalization circuit is not employed, since the music was not mixed with large movie theaters in mind) – but the bottom line is that the THX Ultra 2 Music mode does a terriﬁc job of optimizing the performance of your system for multichannel music reproduction, with the touch of a button.

THX Ultra 2 Cinema Mode As you might expect, the THX Ultra 2 Cinema mode does a similarly terriﬁc job of

optimizing the system for accurate reproduction of movie soundtracks.

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When in THX Ultra 2 Cinema mode, ASA creates a diffuse soundﬁeld that emulates the much larger array of surround speakers found in a state of the art commercial theater. Of course, Re-EQ, Adaptive Decorrelation, and Timbre-Matching are all employed to compensate for the differences between an excellent commercial theater and your room at home. Once again, a single selection can fully optimize your system for a signiﬁcantly different task: reproducing movies as they were intended to be experienced.

Boundary Gain

Compensation

ﬂexible GUI The LCD touchscreen on the front panel of your new component supports an

Most speakers are designed to sound their best when placed out well away from the walls. This placement usually offers the best imaging and overall performance.

However, this placement is often not practical in multi-purpose rooms that are used for home entertainment. Speakers end up pushed back close to the walls so as to make more room for the people who live in the house. Unfortunately, this change in placement reinforces frequencies from the mid-bass down to the deepest bass. While few people would object to having a little extra deep bass, the boosted mid-bass makes male vocals sound “chesty,” “congested” or “boomy.”

extremely ﬂexible and versatile graphical user interface (GUI) while maintaining a clean, uncluttered appearance. The SSP-300 provides a range of controls that might otherwise require dozens of buttons and knobs on the front panel. Despite this power and ﬂexibility, it remains simple to operate in day-to-day use.

customizable

volume control

In fact, in some ways it is even simpler to operate than a more conventional design might be. For example, if you are not using one or more of the inputs on your SSP300, you can delete the unnecessary buttons from the operational menu. Doing so prevents anyone from trying to select a nonexistent source component, with the resulting confusion stemming from the lack of any sound. (Of course, you can easily restore the

button if you subsequently add another source component and need that input.)

The volume control on your new Classé surround processor is controlled by sophisticated software that allows you to ﬁne-tune its response to suit your preferences.

Ideally, a volume control would allow you to reach the volume you desire quickly, and would also provide extremely ﬁne control once you are close to the “perfect” volume. Of course, these characteristics are in conﬂict with each other: one requires the volume to change by quite a lot for a given amount of turning of the knob, while the other requires small, incremental changes for the same turn of the knob.

The volume control system on your SSP-300 solves this problem by responding differently based on the speciﬁc circumstances (e.g. how quickly you are turning the knob and where in the volume range you are). After extensive testing, we feel we have created factory default settings that most people will ﬁnd intuitive and a real pleasure to use. However, if you feel you would like to ﬁne-tune its performance further in order to suit your particular preference, you may easily do so.

highly reﬁned

circuit design

extensive listening tests Excellent measured performance is to be expected in world-class products, and Classé

All Classé analog ampliﬁcation stages are based on circuits that have been extensively optimized over many years of continuous development.

By starting with excellent circuit designs and working with them over the years, we are able to discover the many small reﬁnements that add up to superlative performance, in a variety of applications. Altering a voltage here, or using a slightly different part there, may make all the difference between solid and absolutely outstanding performance.

This level of reﬁnement only comes with a great deal of experience, and is not available to those who ﬂit from one trendy notion to the next. It accounts in no small measure for both the consistency of sonic performance among Classé products (as they are all based on similar analog gain stages), and for the consistently excellent reviews these products receive from owners and reviewers alike.

products deliver that performance. However, experience has shown that technical excellence alone is insufﬁcient to guarantee subjectively musical results.

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For this reason, all Classé products are laboriously ﬁne-tuned during the development process by carefully controlled listening tests. Our ears are still some of the ﬁnest laboratory test instruments available, and nicely complement more traditional engineering test equipment. In the course of optimizing the circuitry for a product, hundreds of decisions are made based on the subjective impression given by substituting one high quality part for another.

As an example, we may listen to half a dozen 0.1% tolerance ﬁlm resistor components of the same value, from several different companies. Standard tests may show them all to provide identical results in terms of noise, distortion, and so forth. Yet, almost invariably, one selection yields some small improvement in the subjective reaction to the performance of the product under development. Less often, even a single such change can result in a surprisingly large improvement.

Multiply those various improvements by the dozens or even hundreds of such decisions that must be made before the product can be ﬁnalized for production, and you have a remarkable improvement, indeed – all based on careful listening tests, which we view as a necessary complement to the solid engineering you might rightly expect from Classé.

extraordinary longevity Another beneﬁt of having worked with highly reﬁned circuit designs so extensively over

many years is that we have vast experience in what works well over the long term.

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By using only the highest quality parts to begin with, and then using them in an informed way as a result of both accelerated aging experiments and actual long-term experience, we are able to design and manufacture products which we are conﬁdent will stand the test of time.

We are conﬁdent that your new Classé surround processor will give you many years of trouble-free reliability and musical enjoyment, just as previous Classé products have given their owners.

Initial Setup

We understand that you may be anxious to begin enjoying your new surround processor. Our best advice: take advantage of the considerable experience your Classé dealer offers to make sure you get all the performance you deserve.

However, if you want to set up your new system yourself, this section is designed to get the system up and running quickly. Following the steps outlined below will not fully optimize your system, since doing so involves optimizing everything in the system – not merely your surround processor. But we can get you off to a good start, assuming that the rest of the system is approximately as it should be.

Your new SSP-300 is delivered with default factory settings which this section will use to make your initial task simpler. Please note that these default settings cannot deliver all the performance and functionality that the SSP-300 offers in your particular system. For a full understanding of the capabilities of your new surround sound preampliﬁer/ processor, you should still read the rest of this manual – particularly the section describing the menu system.

1 Plug everything into the AC mains, but make sure everything is off or in

standby.

By plugging everything into the wall, you ensure that every component is grounded and lessen the chances of a static discharge damaging delicate electronics. However, it is important that everything be turned off before you begin, especially the power ampliﬁers. You do not want a transient from making a connection to be ampliﬁed by your power ampliﬁers and sent to the speakers.

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2 Connect your source components to the SSP-300.

By default, the connection. INPUT2 button with LINE2, INPUT3 button with LINE3, etc. Analog audio sources such as tuners should be connected to any available LINE connectors. Make a note of where you are connecting your various sources.

3 Connect your SSP-300 to your power ampliﬁer(s).

Connect the Main Outputs of the SSP-300 to the corresponding inputs on your various ampliﬁer channels, being careful not to mix them up. In particular, make sure the SUB output is sent only to an appropriate subwoofer – the extremely low frequencies often sent from the SUB output could damage a small speaker that was not designed for those frequencies.

4 After making sure that the ampliﬁers are off or in standby, connect them

to the appropriate loudspeakers.

Pay close attention to the phase of the speaker connections. Always connect red (+) terminals to red (+) terminals, and black (–) terminals to black (–) terminals.

INPUT1 button is associated with the LINE1 analog audio

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5 Now you are ready to power up your new SSP-300 and its associated

ampliﬁers.

Note that the initial power up takes approximately 90 seconds, during which time the blue LED on the standby button will ﬂash.

After approximately 45 seconds the LCD screen will display “initializing, please wait….” Once this period is complete the LED light will remain on while the LCD screen goes into standby mode.

A simple touch of the LCD screen will wake up the SSP-300 from its standby mode. The LCD touchscreen will now display a blue screen titled “initializing” for a further 15 seconds.

6 Connect the supplied calibration microphone to the MIC input on the

rear of the SSP-300, and use the auto-calibrate function of the SSP-300 to ﬁnish your initial setup.

The auto-calibrate function of the SSP-300 can be found by touching the following on-screen “buttons” in the LCD display, in this order:

• Path: MENU/system setup/speakers/position 1/autocalibration

• touch auto levels (and wait for the autocalibration to ﬁnish)

• touch auto delays

Hold the microphone upright at arm’s length so that it is approximately where your head would be when seated at your preferred listening position, and pointed at the ceiling.

Pink noise (at a low level) will automatically begin from the left front speaker and rise slowly in volume. The SSP-300 generates this noise, listens through the microphone, then increases the signal level gradually until the Sound Pressure Level at the listening position is 75 dB. The SSP-300 will test every speaker in the same sequence as described above and set their levels to 75 dB.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR SUBWOOFER

We have observed that, depending on the acoustics of your listening space, the subwoofer distance auto-calibration may fail or return unreasonable results. If this happens try one of the following solutions: If the subwoofer level was very soft during the ﬁrst pass of the auto-calibration process, increase it a bit to make the signal more audible. Try raising the crossover frequency of the subwoofer (in the Audio Setup menu) or turning the subwoofer ﬁlter off (which will make the selected crossover frequency irrelevant). If all these measures fail, you will have to enter the subwoofer distance manually through the Distance Setup menu.

Note: at this time you will only need to enter the manual level and distance values for the subwoofer. All other speaker values will remain accurate.

To optimize speaker setup we suggest entering all speaker levels and distances manually.

7 Please take a moment to read the rest of this manual.

It is important that you become familiar with the full capabilities of your new surround processor if you are to get maximum value from your purchase. (Alternatively, you may prefer to have your dealer perform a comprehensive installation of the system, leaving the technical details to the professionals.)

For example: the default settings of the bass management system in the SSP-300 are to divert any bass below 80 Hz, in any channel, to the subwoofer output. This is a reasonably safe choice, since few loudspeakers that are likely to be used with equipment of the SSP-300’s caliber are going to be stressed by these settings.

However, these settings may not be optimal for your particular loudspeaker system. Your dealer can assist you in determining the best conﬁguration of the bass management system for your speciﬁc situation.

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Front Panel

1 Standby button & LED indicator

The front panel Standby button will toggle the surround processor between its fully operational status and a standby mode that leaves the surround processor off, yet ready to respond to system commands via any of the supported control options (e.g. IR input, DC trigger, CAN Bus, or RS-232).

The current state of the surround processor is indicated by the LED on the standby button on the front panel. When the unit is powered and switched on, this LED indicates the following:

• On = standby

• Flashing (on power-up) =

initialization

• Off = operate

• Flashing (after power-up) = AC mains voltage out of range

If you are planning not to use the surround processor for an extended period of time, e.g. vacation or other travel, we suggest you disconnect it from the AC mains. Please be certain that the surround processor is in standby

prior to

disconnecting it from the AC mains.

Also, it is a good practice to physically disconnect any and all valuable electronics from the AC mains during electrical storms, as a lightning strike anywhere near your home can put a tremendous surge on the AC mains that will easily jump across a simple power switch. The resulting surge (which may be many thousands of volts) can damage any piece of electronics, no matter how well designed and protected. The best protection in the case of severe electrical storms is simply to remove the electronics from any connection with the power grid.

2 Menu button

Pressing the front panel Menu button will call up the menu system, replacing the normal status display in the LCD touchscreen of the SSP-300.

3 LCD touchscreen

Much of your interaction with the SSP-300 will be with the LCD touchscreen (and the SSP-300’s supplied remote control). It will usually display the various input selection buttons you would use in day-to-day operation, along with access to the tape monitor button.

By pressing the Menu button, you can also call up the menu system of the SSP300, which gives you control over many of the operational details of the surround processor, including system setup options, various language in which the menu system itself displays), and several custom-installation capabilities that allow superior integration of the SSP-300 into complex systems.

display options (including the

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For more information, see the section The Menu System

4 Mute button

The front panel Mute button reduces the volume of the surround processor to zero at the touch of a button. Pressing the button a second time restores the volume to its previous setting. The behavior of the mute can also be customized. Setup information on this feature is available in the Volume Setup

However, if you increase the volume manually (using either the volume knob or the remote control) while the Mute button is engaged, the mute control will disengage and the volume will be reset to zero. This approach is a safety measure, to avoid situations in which the volume might be adjusted up while muted, only to then have the system un-muted to an unexpectedly high volume.

5 IR window

The infrared (IR) receiver and transmitter are located behind this window. Ordinarily, your Classé SSP-300 must be able to “see” the remote control from this window in order to respond to remote control commands.

If your surround processor will be located behind closed doors, or for any other reason will not be able to “see” the remote control during normal operation, you may use the rear panel IR input and an infrared repeater system to solve the problem. For more information about using an infrared repeater system to route signals to the SSP-300, refer to the section Rear Panel contact your local Classé dealer.

later in this manual.

section.

later in this manual, or

In addition to receiving IR commands, the SSP-300 can also transmit IR commands so they may be learned by third-party learning remote controls. The SSP-300 includes a comprehensive list of discrete IR commands to facilitate the creation of reliable macros. Speciﬁcally, there are discrete codes for all commands that normally operate as “toggle” functions (e.g. separate operate commands in addition to the normal command that toggles between the two).

and standby

6 Volume Knob

The large knob on the right side of the front panel of the SSP-300 is used to control the volume of the system.

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The volume is raised or lowered in precise 1dB increments throughout the range of the control most likely to be used while listening to music.

At extremely low volumes, the step size is increased somewhat to make it easier to move quickly between extremely low and normal listening levels.

Rear Panel

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The table below shows the three types of inputs of the SSP-300 and which outputs can be used. The ✔ symbol indicates a signal is available, the ✘ symbol indicates a signal is not available. For example, with a Component Input an S-Video signal is available from the Main output, but not from the Rec 1 or Rec 2 output. See the following information on the various inputs and outputs for more detailed information.

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1 Composite Video Inputs

The SSP-300 supports up to four composite video input signals. These connections are labeled COMPOSITE INPUT 1, 2, 3, and 4. All these inputs are converted to both S-video and Component video as needed for viewing on the MAIN output.

Connect the composite video output of your source component to the appropriate composite video input of the SSP-300 using high quality 75Ω video cable for the best results. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

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Note that the three analog video standards offer varying degrees of performance:

• Component video offers the highest picture quality

• S-Video is second-highest in picture quality

• Composite video offers the lowest picture quality

For this reason, you are advised to use component video connections whenever possible, and S-video connections when component is not available. Composite video connections should be used when the other options are not available, or on less critical sources (e.g., a VHS video cassette recorder, or perhaps a video game).

2 Composite Video Outputs

The SSP-300 provides multiple composite video outputs to support different purposes.

• The

• ZONE supplies the selected video signal to a remote zone within your home,

• MAIN provides the selected video signal for the primary zone (your home

3 S-Video Inputs

The SSP-300 supports up to ﬁve S-video input signals, labeled INPUTS 1-5. All these inputs are converted to both Composite video and Component video as needed for viewing on the MAIN output.

Connect the S-video output of your source component to the appropriate S-video input of the SSP-300 using high quality S-video cable for the best results. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

REC 1 and REC 2 outputs are used to send the selected video signal

to a video recorder such as a VCR or a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for recording. For your convenience, all incoming S-video signals are converted to composite for possible recording via this output. Since the presumption is that you are recording some program for your personal video library, no OSD is ever superimposed on the video signal on either REC output.

allowing the system to feed two separate areas of your home with independent home entertainment signals from the single, main system. (If this idea interests you, we suggest you speak with your authorized Classé dealer about multi-zone systems for your home.) For your convenience, all S-video signals are converted to composite for possible distribution via this output.

theater) to your main display, and will superimpose an On Screen Display as needed. This “OSD” provides the same information as the LCD screen on the SSP-300 itself, making operation of the system from anywhere in the room considerably easier.

S-VIDEO

Note that the three analog video standards offer varying degrees of performance:

• Component video offers the highest picture quality

• S-Video is second-highest in picture quality

• Composite video offers the lowest picture quality

4 S-Video Outputs

The SSP-300 provides multiple S-video outputs to support different purposes.

• REC 1 and REC 2 are used to send the selected video signal to a video

recorder such as a VCR or a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for recording. Since the presumption is that you are recording some program for your personal video library, no OSD is ever superimposed on the video signal on either REC output.

• MAIN provides the selected video signal for the primary zone (your home

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5 Optical Digital Audio Output

This optical digital output allows you to distribute a digital source in its original, unprocessed digital form. For example, if you had another multichannel system elsewhere in the home, you could forward a Dolby Digital bitstream to the other system from this one—running a cables for surround sound applications.

Alternatively, you could use this digital output to make digital recordings. Note that this output simply passes whatever signal has been selected – you should only make copies of recordings for which you have legal rights to do so. It is your responsibility to comply with copyright law.

6 Coaxial Digital Inputs

These four inputs accept digital audio signals conforming to the 75Ω

S/PDIF digital interface standard (via 75Ω cables equipped with RCA-type

connectors) from a digital satellite receiver, compact disc, DVD player or other digital source component. Connect the 75Ω S/PDIF output of your source component to any of these inputs, using high quality 75Ω cable. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

single digital cable instead of ﬁve or six analog

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7 Optical Digital Inputs

These connectors accept digital audio signals in the EIAJ optical (sometimes called “Toslink™”) digital interface standard from a digital satellite receiver, compact disc, DVD player or other digital source component. Connect the optical digital output of your source component to either of the EIAJ optical inputs using a high quality EIAJ optical cable. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

8 AES/EBU Digital Input

This input accepts digital audio in the professional 110

Ω AES/EBU digital interface standard (via a cable equipped with XLR-type connectors) from a digital satellite receiver, compact disc, DVD or other digital source component. Connect the AES/EBU digital output of your source component to the AES/EBU input of the SSP-300 using a high quality 110Ω AES/EBU cable. Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

The pin assignments of these AES/EBU XLR-type female input connectors are:

Pin 1: Shield Pin 2: Digital + (non-inverting) Pin 3: Digital – (inverting) Connector ground lug: chassis ground

These pin assignments are consistent with the standards adopted by the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcast Union. Refer to the operating manual of your digital source to verify that the pin assignments of its output connector corresponds to the SSP-300. If not, wire the cable so that the appropriate output pin connects to the equivalent input pin.

9 Classé CAN Bus Control Ports

These RJ-45 connectors are reserved for future control and communication applications using Classé Audio’s implementation of the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus speciﬁcation.

10 RS-232 Control Port

This port has two purposes:

• downloading new operating software into your surround processor (should new features ever be added).

• external control of your surround processor by systems such as i-Command AMX® and Crestron

™.

For more information, please contact your dealer and ask about home automation systems.

™

11 IR Input: Main and Zone

Your Classé surround processor includes two 1/8th-inch mono mini-jacks to support the infrared (IR) remote controls that are ubiquitous today. Infrared commands exist (for example) for toggling the surround processor between operate and standby, in addition to discrete command codes for either operate or standby. These codes may be used in “macros” for sophisticated remote control systems, facilitating the control of the surround processor in the larger context of a complete system.

The SSP-300 has two separate IR inputs, one for the MAIN system and one that addresses only the functions of the remote ZONE. IR commands routed to either input will be interpreted as intended to affect only that section of the SSP-300.

For example, if you send a command to change the input to the DVD player, routing it to the ZONE IR IN, only the remote ZONE will change to the DVD input. The

MAIN system will be unaffected.

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The list of commands available is quite extensive, enabling even complex macros (chains of commands strung together) to operate ﬂawlessly. If this capability is of interest to you, we strongly recommend discussing it with your authorized Classé dealer.

The surround processor is designed to respond to IR commands of 5 Vdc, with the tip of the mini-plugs deﬁned to be positive relative to the shank of the plug.

Note: The Classe Delta series IR inputs respond to an “idle-high, active-low” signal. Please ensure that any third party IR control systems are conﬁgured accordingly.

12 DC Trigger Outputs

Many audio/video components can supply a DC control voltage to associated equipment in order to induce desired behavior.

Two

/8th-inch mono mini-jacks provide individually controllable DC trigger

outputs which can be used for any of a number of purposes, as described in The Menu System. For example, your dealer can program Trigger Out1 to toggle your Classé power ampliﬁer between operate and standby with your SSP-300.

The trigger outputs will create a 12Vdc signal that can support up to 100mA of current.

13 Microphone Input

The MIC input on the rear of the SSP-300 is used during auto-calibration of the system.

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For a quick setup, connect the supplied microphone to this input and follow the procedure outlined in the Initial Setup

For more details, please refer to The Menu System

14 Analog Audio Inputs

These RCA jacks accept right-channel and left-channel (single-ended) inputs from line-level source equipment such as tuners, CD players, and tape decks. Any of these inputs may be selected by touching the corresponding button on the main operational screen of the front panel touchscreen.

To achieve the best possible results, we suggest that you use only high-quality shielded interconnect cables. Please consult with your local Classé dealer for advice on the best cables for use in your system.

15 Analog Audio Outputs (stereo)

Four pairs of stereo analog outputs are provided on the SSP-300.

REC1, REC2 and REC3 support various recording devices (both the audio portion of an A/V recorder such as a VCR or a DVR, as well as audio-only recorders such as CD-R burners).

The ZONE output supplies an independently selectable audio signal to a remote zone within your home, regardless of what is being listened to in the main system. If you ﬁnd this idea interesting, we suggest you speak with your authorized Classé dealer about multi-zone system designs for your home.

section of this manual.

, later in this manual.

16 7.1 Channel Analog Audio Input

A 7.1 channel analog input is provided for use with a multichannel SACD and/or DVD-Audio player. For reasons of copy protection, most such players do not provide a high-resolution digital output. Instead, they use high quality analog outputs.

In the SSP-300, these signals are passed through to the speakers with no further processing, in order to preserve the purity of the signal. When this input is selected, the SSP-300 provides only volume control (including the volume offsets used to balance all your loudspeakers to one another).

17 Single-ended Main Analog Audio Outputs

Single-ended cables using RCA connectors are the most common form of analog connection used in consumer electronics. When implemented carefully and used with high quality interconnect cables, this standard can provide excellent performance. Classé has gone to extraordinary effort to ensure that the singleended (RCA) outputs of your surround processor are unsurpassed.

Connect these single-ended outputs to your power ampliﬁers using high quality RCA-terminated cables. Your Classé dealer can advise you on the selection of cables suitable for your system.

18 Component Video Inputs and Output

The SSP-300 provides three Component video inputs. These are labeled COMPONENT INPUT 1, 2, and 3.

Connect the Component video output of your source component to the appropriate Component video input of the SSP-300 using high quality 75 cable for the best results.

Note: Progressive and High Deﬁnition video sources must be connected via

Component video, since Composite and S-video support only standard deﬁnition, interlaced video (480i in NTSC countries, 525i in PAL and SECAM countries).

High Deﬁnition component video signals are not “downconverted” by the SSP-300 for output on composite or S-video.

Take care to connect each of the three cables to its corresponding connector at both ends:

• Y is the luminance (the black and white portion of the signal) and is usually

denoted by a green color code on the plugs and connectors.

• Pr is the red difference signal (R-Y), and is sometimes called Cr. It is usually

denoted by a red color code on the plugs and connectors.

• Pb is the blue difference signal (B-Y), and is sometimes called Cb. It is usually

denoted by a blue color code on the plugs and connectors.

Ω video

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Your Classé dealer can assist you in making an appropriate cable selection.

Note that the three analog video standards offer varying degrees of performance:

• Component video offers the highest picture quality

• S-Video is second-highest in picture quality

• Composite video offers the lowest picture quality

The Component OUTPUT makes the selected video signal available to your main display in a Component video format, regardless of the format in which it was received by the SSP-300. This includes both standard deﬁnition and high deﬁnition video signals.

For your convenience, all standard deﬁnition Component video signals are converted to S-video and composite video for display via this output.

BYPASS MODE: In order to preserve the highest-possible signal integrity on the Component video path, no On Screen Display is available.

19 AC Mains Power Switch

The main power switch for the SSP-300 is adjacent to the receptacle for the power cord.

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Switching the unit on puts it in standby mode. The surround processor should be in standby before being switched off.

Danger! Potentially dangerous voltages and current capabilities exist within your

surround processor, even when disconnected from AC mains. Do not attempt to open any portion of the surround processor’s cabinet. There are no user-serviceable parts inside your surround processor. All service of this product must be referred to a qualiﬁed authorized Classé dealer or distributor.

20 AC Mains Input

An IEC standard power cord (supplied) is used with the SSP-300. Plug the cord into the IEC receptacle provided, and the other end into a suitable wall outlet.

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